Ralph security checklist

Final Checks

• Are all contract tests passing in CI?
• Have all security recommendations been implemented?
• Does the project use the latest dApp stack of Alephium

Common

• Are events used for proper logging?
• Are user-friendly error codes provided?
• Is the return value from low-level calls checked?
• Testing
  • Is there high test coverage?
  • Are unit tests covering all critical edge cases?
  • Are there extensive integration tests?
  • Is there a code Freeze before deployment?
• Is a contract used to receive protocol fees instead of address to avoid generating too many UTXOs?

Public Functions

• Are function visibility and mutability correctly specified?
• Does the function need to check caller? If so, is it checked properly?
• Does the function use assets properly?
• Are the inputs validated?
• Can edge case inputs (e.g. 0, max values) result in an unexpected behavior?
• Are the code comments coherent with the implementation?

Language Specific

• All value types used as reference types by accident?

Maths

• Are token amounts handled with the correct units?
• Is the calculation correct?
• Is there any precision lost? (especially for year/month/day calculation)
• Are * performed before /?
• Are comparison checked correctly (e.g., < vs. ≤, > vs. ≥)?

Access Control

• Are centralization risks addressed with best practices?
  • Can executors perform token transfers on behalf of the user?
  • Can any token be reclaimed or withdrawn?
  • Is there total upgradeability?
  • Are there instant parameter changes (no timelock)?
  • Can the contract be paused freely?
  • Can the contract be rugged to steal user assets?
  • Do bugs in restricted functions pose a centralization risk?
• Can a corrupted owner destroy the protocol?
• Are any features lacking access controls?
• Are timelocks used for important operations, allowing users time to observe upcoming changes?
• Are critical functions accessible?

DoS

• Does the contract store a limited number of tokens (current limit: 8 tokens)?
• Could the contract block operations if there are insufficient assets (e.g. staking rewards)?
• Are loops and recursive calls optimized to prevent exceeding gas limits?

Signatures

• Are signatures protected against replay with a nonce and block.chainid?
• Is the Signature used from the correct person?

Merkle trees

• Are leaf nodes hashed with the claimable address inside?
• Does it handle zero hash properly?
• Does it handle duplicated values properly?

General tips

• For logic implemented multiple times, are there any differences, and is the logic standardized?
• Are timelocks implemented for every protocol upgrade/change to allow users to exit if they disagree?
• Beware of Oracle manipulation: Don't use spot price from an AMM as an oracle.
• For pause mechanism :
  • Can something critical be paused (e.g., liquidation)?
  • Can the contract be bricked by pausing?
  • Is whenNotPaused implemented correctly in every function where needed?